Igniter apparatus for gas-engines.



No. 718,334. PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903., W. P. FLINT.

IGNITER APPARATUS FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1902.

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Unitas Sores ATENT Finch,

.VILLIAM P. FLINT, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE "WESTINGHOUSE MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

lGNlTEFi APPARATUS FOR GAS-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 718,334, dated January 13, 1903. Application filed June 26,1902. Serial No. 113,374. [No model.)

I To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM P. FLINT, a citizen of. the UnitedStates, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Igniter Apparatus for Gas-Engines, (Case No. 1,064,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus employed in connection with internal-combustion engines for periodically igniting explosive mixtures of air and gas to drive the pistons of such engines; and it has for its object to provide means which shallbe flexible and reliable in operation and which may be readily manipulated, so as to secure a maximum degree of effective service and reliability with a minimum degree of deterioration.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a switchboard and the apparatus in connection with which it is used, the latter being shown diagrammatically. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the switchboard shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the switchboard shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

his the usual practice to employ abattery of either the primary or secondary type or a dynamo-electric generator in connection with a spark-coil for the purpose of supplying current to sparking terminals located in the ignition-chamber ofa gas-engine so that as the terminals are separated a spark of sufiicient proportions to ignite the explosive mixture will be formed. The conditions of operation are sometimes such that the use of a battery for this purpose is desirable, and, on the other hand, the conditions are sometimes such as to render the use of a dynamoelectric generator more desirable than the battery. By means of my presentinvention the two may be used either in conjunction orseparately,accordin g to the conditions of operation at a given time, thereby rendering the operation more satisfactory than would be otherwise possible.

Referring now to the details of construction illustrated in the drawings, the engine frame or casing, which is in electrical connectionwith one of the sparking terminals, is represented at 1, the sparking terminals, which are employed to make and break the circuit at intervals in the usual manner, are represented at 2, a dynamo-electric generator is represented at 3, and a battery, which may be either of the primary or the secondary type, is represented at 4,

The devices which are employed for controlling and regulating the current supplied to the igniting device by either the dynamo 3 or the battery 4 are mounted upon a suitable slab or base-plate 5 and comprise a sparkcoil 6, two double-throw double-pole switches 7 and S, dynamo binding-posts 9 and 10, battery binding-posts 11 and 12, igniter bindingposts 13 and 14, resistance-lamps 15, 16, and 17, and conductor-wires for making the necessary connections between the several pieces of apparatus, binding-posts, and switches.

When a dynamo of comparatively large capacity is employed, it willgenerally be found advisable to employ f use-blocks, as indicated at 18, these being omitted, however, when the dynamo is of small capacity.

The combination of apparatus here shown is designed to include a one-hundred-volt dynamo and other elements of corresponding proportions; but myinvention is not limited to apparatus which is designed for any specitic voltage. I

With both switches in the positions indicated in Fig. 1 the circuit will be from the generator 3 to positive binding-post 9, through the right-hand blade of switch 7, the lamps 15, 16, and 17 in parallel, the spark-coil 6, binding-post 13, igniter 2, engine frame or casing 1, bindingpost 14, the left-hand blade of switch 7, and negative binding-post 10. After the current passes through the lamps 15, 16, and 17 it may divide and a part of it pass, as indicated,through the left-hand blade of switch 8, battery binding-post 11, battery 4, battery binding-post 12, right-hand blade of switch 8, and thence to the binding-post 10 through the same path as that already described for the current passing through the circuit-coil. Since the electromotive force of the dynamo will be much higher than that of the battery, this current will serve to charge the battery while the dynamo is in operation. Assuming the battery to be charged or that it be a primary battery, the igniter may be operated by means of the battery alone, either by opening the switch 7 and leaving the switch 8 in the position shown in Fig. 1 or by opening the switch 7 and throwing the switch 8 into its upward closed position. Similarly the dynamo may be employed alone, with the switch 7 in either its lowered or elevated po sition and the switch 8 open. Then the battery is operating alone, the lamps are obviously not in service; but when the dynamo is operating alone the lamps will burn and will flicker synchronously with the operation of the igniter.

Vhen both switches are closed, as indicated in the drawings, the lamps willlourn steadily and the battery will be charged during the operation, as above indicated.

My invention is not limited to the employment of any specific number of lamps in the dynamo-circuit, since either one or two or more than threelamps of proper candle-power and voltage may be utilized. The use of at least three lamps will be generally found preferable, however, on account of the degree of variation in brilliancy which occurs when the current is intermittent.

The battery should, preferably, be used alone for starting the engine and the dynamo alone in emergencies when an exceptionally hot spark is desired. For ordinary operation when the battery is of the secondary type it is preferable to use both dynamo and battery together. When used together, the switches should both be in either the up or the down position, (since otherwise the dynamo discharges the battery,) and in order to equalize the wear on the sparking points of the igniter it is desirable to reverse the circuit by throwing the switches at suitable int-ervalssuch, for example, as once in twenty-four hours.

It is decidedly advantageous to operate the igniting device from both sources of current at the same time, not only because the battery is charged during the normal operating, but because the failure of either source of current from any cause will not disarrange the system as a whole or interrupt the service.

The employment of switchboards of the kind and in the manner shown is also particularly advantageous not only singly, but also in cases where several are operated from a single dynamo-circuit. In the latter case the polarity of the ground connections on all the switchboards may be reversed at the same time by first reversing the battery-switches, then opening all the dynamo-switches, and lastly closing the dynamo-switches in the reverse direction. If two dynamo-switches are thrown in reverse directions, both sides of the dynamo circuit will be grounded and the fuses will be blown but if the battery-switches are closed there will be no interfence with the operation of the ignition device.

The battery and dynamo switches are preferably double throw; but single throw switches might be employed and would come within the scope of this invention.

The details of construction may obviously be otherwise varied from what is shown without departing from the invention, andI therefore desire it to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the details shown and described except as limitations may be imposed by the prior art.

I claim as my invention- 1. In igniting apparatus for gas-engines, the combination with a dynamo, a secondary battery and an igniting device, of a switchboard having a spark-coil and switches so constructed and arranged as to connect either or both of the sources of energy with the coil and igniting device.

2. In igniting apparatus for gas-engines, the combination with two sources of electrical energy and an igniting device, of a switchboard having a spark-coil and switches so arranged and connected as to throw either or both of the sources of energy into and out of circuit with the coil and igniting device and so as to reverse the flow of current through the igniting device at will.

3. In igniting apparatus for gas-engines, the combination with a dynamo, a battery and an igniting device, of a switchboard having a spark-coil and double-throw switches so arranged as to cut the battery and dynamo, or either of them, into and out of circuit with the coil and igniting device and to reverse the circuit connections.

4.. In igniting apparatus for gas-engines, the combination with a secondary battery and a dynamo and an igniting device, ofa switchboard having a spark-coil and switches so constructed and arranged as to operate the igniting device and charge the battery simultaneously and adapted to either reverse the connections or cut out either source of current, as desired.

5. In igniting apparatus for gas-engines, the combination with a dynamo and a battery and an igniting device, of a switchboard having a spark-coil, one or more resistance-lamps and switches adapted for cutting the battery and dynamo, or either of them, into and out of circuit and reversing their connections with the igniting device.

6. In igniting apparatus for gas-engines, the combination with a dynamo, a battery and an igniting device, of a switchboard having one or more resistance-lamps, a spark-coil and switches, the latter being adapted to reverse the circuit connections of the two sources of current with reference to the igniting device and to out either or both of them out of circuit at will.

7. In igniting apparatus for gas-engines, the combination with a dynamo, asecondary battery and an igniting device, of a switchboard having one or more incandescent lamps, a spark-coil and switches, the latter being adapted to connect either or both of the said sources of current in circuit to supply current and to out either of them out of circuit et IO to the igniting device and to either charge or Will. discharge the battery. In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub- 8. In an igniting apparatus for gas-engines, scribed my name this 25th day of June, 1902. the combination with at dynamo, a batteryand 1 an igniting device, of one or more incandes- BLIN'I' cent lamps, a spark-coil and switches, the latter being adapted to reverse the circuit connections of each of the two sources of current Witnesses:

EDWIN RUND, WM. DOWNTON. 

